Solid church denominations teach members how standards of faith and membership vows encourage purity and peace. See, for example, the PCA membership vow #5 under "PCA Vows"
Bible verses affirming purity and peace as well as the covenant of peace:
| Psalm 37:37 | Be pure and honest. Peace loving people will have many descendants. |
| 2 Timothy 2:22 | Pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart |
| James 3:17 | But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, |
| 1 Peter 1:2 | Through the Spirit's work to make you pure and holy [so] more and more grace and peace be given to you. |
| 2 Peter 3:14 | Make certain that the Lord finds you pure, spotless, and living at peace. |
| Ezek. 37:26-28 | I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever |
| Numbers 25:12 | Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. [MacArthur priestly covenant - Romans 9] |
| Ezekiel 34:25 | 'I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety. |
| Isaiah 54:10 | Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. |
PCA VOWS
The following are taken from the Presbyterian Church in America's Book of Church Order in section 57-5: (All of) you being here present to make a public profession of faith, are to assent to the following declarations and promises, by which you enter into a solemn covenant with God and His Church.The Presbyterian Church in America's Book of Church Order ("BCO") has licensure vows for pastors and membership vows for members. The following membership vows are taken from the BCO in section 57-5. The licensure vows affirm a confessional and comprehensive understanding of God's Word in BCO section 19-3.
Licensure Vows
- Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as originally given, to be the inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice?
- Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith and the Catechisms of this Church as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scripture?
- Do you promise to strive for the purity, peace, unity and edification of the Church?
- Do you promise to submit yourself, in the Lord, to the government of this Presbytery, or of any other into the bounds of which you may be called?
Membership Vows
- Do you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope save in His sovereign mercy?
- Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the Gospel?
- Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ.
- Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?
- Do you submit yourselves to the government and discipline of the Church, and promise to study its purity and peace?
Peacemaking Equips Believers to Bring Peace to All Cultural Spheres
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| Peacemaking Books Linked from the Above Diagram Are Also Listed Here: | |
| 1 Personal | The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict |
| 2 Church | The Peacemaking Church: 8 Biblical Keys to Resolve Conflict and Preserve Unity |
| 3 Government | |
| 4 Business | |
| 5 Families | |
| 6 Schools | |
Books for Biblical Peacemakers
| http://Covenant.net/Book/Peace4Families | Peacemaking for Families. This book includes excellent assessment tests to help families identify conflicts needing resolution. Several chapters include recommendations regarding appropriate involvement of third parties in addressing conflicts. |
| http://covenant.net/Book/Peace4Believers | The Peacemaker. This book emphasizes how peacemaking begins with a mature relationship with Christ. Ken Sande explains how trained peacemakers identify core conflicts and then work with and through the church and counselors to address conflicts. |
| http://covenant.net/Book/Peace4Pastors | Peacemaking for Pastors. Alfred Poirier has successfully built a church across the decades with no divorces. Pastor Poirier explains how he works with his elders to address the root of conflicts while creating a safe place to confess of sins that contribute to conflicts. |
| http://covenant.net/Book/Theology2Counsel | A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption. This is a very readable, in-depth summary of how Biblical doctrine applies to counseling situations. Dr. Jay Adams shows how to apply the doctrines of grace to everyday conflicts with ourselves and with others. He unpacks this theology in additional books linked from www.biblicalcounsel.org/Books |
| http://covenant.net/Book/Competent2Counsel | Competent to Counsel. In the introduction to this book, Dr. Adams writes, "'I have been engrossed in the project of developing biblical counseling and have uncovered what I consider to be a number of important scriptural principles. . . . There have been dramatic results. . . . Not only have people's immediate problems been resolved, but there have also been solutions to all sorts of long-term problems as well.' |
| http://covenant.net/Book/MarriageCounsel | Solving Marriage Problems. This book helps counselors and elders address the typical problems that arise in a marriage. Each chapter develops solutions from Scripture. Dr. Adams spends the first few chapters developing a biblical model for identifying heart issues. He then applies Biblical wisdom to many of the specific kinds of problems that typically arise: life patterns, priorities, children, sex roles, in-laws, and so forth. |